Spectral index

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The spectral index of a radio source can hint at its physical properties. The spectral index is calculated from S = να where S is flux and ν is frequency. A more direct formula for α: \alpha=\frac{\log(S_1/S_2)}{\log(\nu_1/\nu_2)}

A spectral index of -.1 typically indicates thermal, or free-free, bremsstrahlung emission, while a steep spectral index of -.7 indicates synchrotron emission.

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